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Album Review – Krisiun / Mortem Solis (2022)

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The best and most infernal Death Metal band in the history of Brazil returns with their twelfth studio album, celebrating the death of the sun with ten tracks of pure aggressiveness and fury.

Four years after the release of their 2018 album Scourge of the Enthroned, Brazilian Death Metal masters Krisiun are back from the pits of the underworld from their hometown Ijui, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, with their impressive twelfth studo opus, entitled Mortem Solis, which is Latin for “death of the sun”. Recorded at Family Mob Studios, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis at Audiohammer Studios, and displaying a sinister, stylish artwork by renowned Brazilian artist Marcelo Vasco, Mortem Solis has all the elements that turned Krisiun into one of the best Death Metal bands in the world, and by far the best one hailing from Brazil, plus an additional dosage of aggressiveness and fury by vocalist and bassist Alex Camargo, guitarist Moyses Kolesne and drummer Max Kolesne to always keep their music fresh, darkening the skies even more with their undisputed, first-class Extreme Metal.

Sworn Enemies is utterly sinister and demonic from the very first second with Max showcasing all his dexterity and rage behind his drums, or in other words, it’s ass-kicking Krisiun to properly start the album, with Alex vociferating the song’s Stygian lyrics flawlessly. Alex’s bass will make the earth tremble in Serpent Messiah while Moyses hammers his guitar nonstop, extracting sheer obscurity and aggressiveness from it and therefore sounding brutal from start to finish just the way we like it in old school death; and the band’s undisputed Death Metal keeps permeating the air in Swords into Flesh, another infernal, detailed and very technical creation by the trio with Max sounding like a stone crusher on drums. Then the rumbling, menacing bass by Alex ignites the heavy-as-hell Necronomical, highly recommended for breaking your neck in half headbanging together with the band, whereas there’s no time to breathe as Krisiun keep decimating our senses in Tomb of the Nameless, where Moyses is on total freakin’ fire with both his sick riffage and piercing solos.

The instrumental, atmospheric interlude Dawn Sun Carnage (Intro) will captivate your mind before the trio comes back into the battlefield in Temple of the Abattoir, starting in a somber manner to the minimalist guitars by Moyses before his bandmates join him in a hurricane of Death Metal that will smash you like an insect. By the way, kudos do Max once again for never sounding tired on vocals, always roaring like a true beast, and the trio fires a first-class fusion of violence and harmony in the Death Metal extravaganza War Blood Hammer, where brothers Moyses and Max provide Alex with everything he needs to bark manically, resulting in one of the most pulverizing of all tracks. Their second to last explosion of Death Metal made in Brazil, entitled As Angels Burn, will inspire you to slam into the circle pit like there’s no tomorrow mainly due to the demented drumming by the beyond talented Max, while lastly we’re treated to more heaviness, obscurity and savagery in Worm God, putting a pulverizing conclusion to an album that doesn’t have a single second of boredom.

The bold, incendiary music found in Mortem Solis can be appreciated in all of its glory on Spotify, but if I were you I would definitely add such amazing album to my personal collection of evil by clicking HERE. Also, don’t forget to give the guys form Krisiun a shout on Facebook and on Instagram, where you can stay up to date with all things Krisiun including their upcoming tour dates, and to subscribe to their YouTube channel for more of their wicked creations. As already mentioned, the best and most infernal Death Metal band in the history of Brazil is back in action with their awesome new album, celebrating the death of the sun with ten tracks of pure aggressiveness, wrath and obscurity, and I’m sure you’ll be more than happy to join them in this darkened feast of classic Death Metal.

Best moments of the album: Swords into Flesh, Tomb of the Nameless and War Blood Hammer.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2022 Century Media

Track listing
1. Sworn Enemies 3:46
2. Serpent Messiah 5:10
3. Swords into Flesh 4:19
4. Necronomical 4:12
5. Tomb of the Nameless 4:28
6. Dawn Sun Carnage (Intro) 1:33
7. Temple of the Abattoir 5:22
8. War Blood Hammer 4:07
9. As Angels Burn 3:08
10. Worm God 4:41

Band members
Alex Camargo – bass, vocals
Moyses Kolesne – guitar
Max Kolesne – drums

Album Review – Torture Squad / Far Beyond Existence (2017)

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Don’t cross the path of one of the most respectful bands from the Brazilian Thrash and Death Metal scene, or they will mercilessly crush you with the pulverizing music from their sensational new album.

If there’s a band that beautifully epitomizes what old school underground Thrash and Death Metal are all about, that band has to be the ruthless Brazilian four-piece outfit Torture Squad who, since their inception in the distant year of 1990 in the city of São Paulo, a metropolis with almost 20 million people located in the southeast region of Brazil, has been fighting for heavy music and remained loyal to their foundations, even with all the adversities in a country where metal is far from being a popular genre. Carrying a powerful name inspired by the song “Death Squad”, by American thrash metallers Sacred Reich, and having already released seven studio albums, two live albums and three EP’s, it’s time for Torture Squad to attack humanity once again with another sensational blast of traditional extreme music, titled Far Beyond Existence, the eight full-length release in their solid and exciting career.

Featuring a somber and ominous artwork by Brazilian artist Rafael Tavarez (who has already provided his brilliant art to several other bands all over the world such as Dark Ministry, Vulture and Moonkult), Far Beyond Existence is the first full-length opus by Torture Squad to feature the she-wolf Mayara “Undead” Puertas as their lead singer, as well as Rene Simionato on guitars. As a matter of fact, although the talented Mayara and Rene already released last year an EP with Torture Squad, the excellent Return of Evil, it’s now with the band’s new full-bodied installment that they have all the room needed to showcase their refined abilities as musicians and their utmost passion for all things extreme. And they more than succeed in their mission as you’ll see when you start listening to this incendiary album of Brazilian Extreme Metal.

In the fantastic opening track Don’t Cross My Path, Rene presents his welcome card in the form of cutting, flammable riffs, while the band’s wardogs Amílcar on drums and Castor on bass are simply thunderous with their respective instruments. And what to say about Mayara? She’s a true unstoppable she-demon, kicking some serious ass with both her deeper guttural and her more strident screams. As the name of the song says, don’t dare to cross her path under any circumstances, unless that’s what you really want deep down inside, right? Continuing with their sonic destruction, sirens warn the listener a tempest of old school Thrash and Death Metal is about to come in No Fate, another boisterous creation by this Brazilian quartet that exhales heaviness and aggression, with Amílcar giving a lesson in drumming by being rhythmic, violent and groovy at the same time. And connecting instantly with where the previous song ended, Blood Sacrifice presents a serene and somewhat esoteric intro, suddenly exploding into belligerent Thrash Metal. Amílcar once again demolishes his drums in a fantastic way, while Mayara keeps barking, gnarling and screaming like a beast, resulting in one of my favorite songs of the album by far; followed by Steady Hands, a mid-tempo tune perfect for some intense headbanging intercalated with some faster and more furious parts, with Rene once again blasting a metallic feast of heavy and raw riffs, not to mention the great job done by Castor with his demonic bass punches enhancing the song’s heaviness to the limit.

The also superb Hate, featuring British vocalist Dave Ingram (Benediction, Bolt Thrower, Just Before Dawn) on guest vocals, is more ferocious than most of the previous songs, where the pounding drums by Amílcar are in perfect sync with Castor’s bass lines and Mayara’s grunts, and with the song’s ending being a thing of beauty tailored for smashing your skull into the circle pit. In Hero for the Ages, slashing riffs and accelerated beats generate a warlike atmosphere perfect for Mayara to attack us with her devilish guttural vocals. Furthermore, it’s truly impressive how all songs sound extremely imposing and heavy, and of course this one couldn’t be an exception to that, with Castor hitting us hard in the last part of the song with his bass guitar. The title-track Far Beyond Existence is a lesson in traditional Thrash Metal, sounding simply excellent for the band’s live concerts, showcasing a neck-breaking, galloping pace that will certainly stimulate the spawn of some intense mosh pits, all boosted by the amazing guitar solo by Rene amidst all the rumbling sounds emanating from bass and drums. And leaning towards a more obscure form of Death Metal, mainly due to the deep and enraged gnarls by Mayara and the old school riffs by Rene, Cursed by Disease keeps the album’s momentum going, with the special narration by Brazilian drummer Edu Lane (Nervochaos) and its old school lyrics (“A rotting corpse remains preserved / Receptacle of the spirit of a king / Sarcophagus was sealed with all his treasure / And on the walls the paintings bore a curse / Death will attack / With its trident / for those who disturb / The pharaoh”) spicing up the final result.

You Must Proclaim, featuring Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Luiz Louzada (Chemical Disaster, Predatory, Vulcano) as a guest vocalist (making a demonic duo with Mayara on vocals), begins with Castor punching his bass mercilessly, emanating a violent and metallic sound that grows in intensity together with all other instruments until it becomes a thrilling Thrash Metal onrush; whereas Just Got Paid,  their pulverizing version for a ZZ Top classic (which original version can be enjoyed HERE), sounds as groovy and hellish as it can be, led by the harsh vocals by guest vocalist Alex Camargo (Krisiun) and the exciting riffage by Rene. Moreover, Castor’s bass sounds once again insanely deafening, which obviously translates into sheer awesomeness. Before all is said and done, Castor and his potent bass kick off the instrumental extravaganza titled Torture in Progress, featuring Brazilian keyboardist Marcelo Schevano, with those bass wallops being the main ingredient during the song’s first part, always accompanied by Amílcar’s intricate beats. In addition, the Deep Purple-inspired keys by Marcelo bring a fresh taste to the overall musicality, culminating in almost 10 minutes of top-notch Brazilian metal. Then closing the album we have Unknown Abyss, a cinematic intro (or outro, depending on how you listen to it, as I’m not really sure why it was added as the last track of the digital version of the album) where Mayara “presents” herself to the fans of the band like a demonic entity rising from the underworld. Needless to say, it will sound fantastic as the intro to their live performances.

In a nutshell, when Mayara had the arduous mission a couple of years ago to replace Torture Squad’s longtime iconic vocalist Vitor Rodrigues, she already proved the world she was the right choice for the band, but in Far Beyond Existence her performance reached such a stunning level she has emphatically carved her name as the band’s undisputed voice (hopefully) for many years to come. If you want to know more about Torture Squad, simply go to their Facebook page for news and tour dates (if you’re in Brazil, don’t miss their Far Beyond Existence Tour 2017, which is just about to start on August 17), and to Spotify to listen to Far Beyond Existence in its entirety. You can also buy the album through the Secret Service Records’ webstore, on iTunes or on Amazon, and show all your support to high-end underground metal from Brazil, more specifically to one of the most respectful, hard-working and thrilling bands in the history of Brazilian heavy music.

Best moments of the album: Don’t Cross My Path, Blood Sacrifice, Hate and Far Beyond Existence.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2017 Secret Service Records

Track listing
1. Don’t Cross My Path 5:48
2. No Fate 6:35
3. Blood Sacrifice 7:38
4. Steady Hands 5:23
5. Hate (feat. Dave Ingram) 4:11
6. Hero for the Ages 5:42
7. Far Beyond Existence 6:44
8. Cursed by Disease (feat. Edu Lane) 5:02
9. You Must Proclaim (feat. Luiz Louzada) 5:06
10. Just Got Paid (ZZ Top cover) (feat. Alex Camargo) 4:11
11. Torture in Progress (Instrumental) (feat. Marcelo Schevano) 9:37
12. Unknown Abyss (Intro) 3:01

Band members
Mayara “Undead” Puertas – vocals
Rene Simionato – guitars
Castor – bass, backing vocals
Amílcar Christófaro – drums

Guest musicians
Dave Ingram – additional vocals on “Hate”
Edu Lane – narration on “Cursed by Desease”
Luiz Louzada – additional vocals on “You Must Proclaim”
Alex Camargo – vocals on “Just got Paid”
Marcelo Schevano – Hammond organ on “Torture in Progress”

Album Review – Krisiun / Forged In Fury (2015)

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These Brazilian veterans show us once again how good old school Death Metal sounds better when forged in sheer fury.

Rating5

Krisiun_Forged In FurySince the year of 1990, Brazil has become a synonym for fast, brutal and technical Death Metal due to the volcanic music engendered by Death Metal brothers Krisiun. And although there has been significant and obvious changes in their music from their 1995 debut album Black Force Domain to their brand new release entitled Forged In Fury, especially their move from that nonstop demonic carnage highly influenced by Black Metal from their early days to today’s melodic and metallic groove, they keep kicking ass and crushing our bones no matter what.

The professionalism and complexity of the artwork, designed by renowned American artist Joe Petagno, already gives the listener a good taste of what Forged In Fury is about: straightforward and deeply infuriated Death Metal. It might not be their best album to date (it doesn’t get close to that), with a couple of songs sounding like filler just to add extra time to the album, but it’s still a solid Krisiun release that will cause some serious damage to the spinal cord of fans of extreme music and admirers of the work of this talented Brazilian power trio.

Ready, set, go! Brothers Kolesne warm up the listener for a minute before the massacre starts in Scars of the Hatred, with drummer Max Kolesne being so precise and fast it’s hard to believe he’s only human. In addition, this song perfectly represents the evolution in their musicality, with the addition of lots of groove but always keeping their viciousness burning. And Max keeps sounding like a machine gun on drums in Ways of Barbarism, a brutish tune that makes it impossible not to slam into the pit. Their technique is impressive, with Alex Camargo and Moyses Kolesne giving a lesson in Death Metal with their powerful bass lines and guitar riffs and solos, respectively. Strident bass and riffs kick off the fuckin’ excellent Death Metal attack Dogma of Submission, where Alex sounds truly barbaric with his growls and Max continues his path of destruction with his unique fury and skills. If you love violence in music, this track is tailored for you.

KrisiunStrength Forged in Fury is very rhythmic and aggressive, offering everything modern Death Metal is comprised of, including sick guitar solos, harsh lyrics and a hellish atmosphere. It feels like a “special package” with three awesome songs in one thanks to the amazing job done by all band members. On the other hand, Soulless Impaler is way below the other songs in the album. The music itself never really takes off, as if something keeps holding it down, becoming quite disappointing after a while. Fortunately, in Burning of the Heretic it looks like the three brothers are mad at something or someone based on the level of devastation presented. I loved its riffs and how the vocals match flawlessly with all instruments, and what to say about the demented guitar solos delivered after four minutes?

If you want to do some sick headbanging, take a listen at The Isolated Truth to have your neck broken by its intensity. This is a good example of how they can sound clean and vicious at the same time, one of the main characteristics that took them to stardom. And like a squad marching to war, Krisiun deliver another Death Metal feast in Oracle of the Ungod, with highlights to the great work done by Moyses on the guitar, enhancing the song’s melody and flow, not to mention the metallic bass lines by Alex puncturing our ears. Following that sonic havoc, the groovy and progressive Timeless Starvation showcases the outstanding production of the album, with Alex mercilessly growling the story told in the song amidst a precise and intricate musicality. This great tune should sound amazing live, with highlights to its superb ending thanks to the flawless guitar lines by Moyses. I’m not sure what the short acoustic track Milonga de la Muerte is doing in the album, but it ends up being an interesting outro for its regular version. And if you grab a special version of it, you’ll be delighted with more of Krisiun’s unique destruction in Earth’s Cremation and with their brilliant tribute to Black Sabbath with their dark version for the classic Electric Funeral.

To sum up, as previously mentioned, Forged In Fury might not be masterpiece nor be among Krisiun’s best albums, but it’s still above average and a decent addition to the band’s belligerent discography. If you’re a longtime fan of the band and has been having fun witnessing their development through the years, you’ll have a good time listening to Forged In Fury. And if you’re new to Krisiun, go check out how Death Metal sounds a lot better when it’s forged in sheer fury.

Best moments of the album: Ways of Barbarism, Dogma of Submission and Electric Funeral.

Worst moments of the album: Soulless Impaler and The Isolated Truth.

Released in 2015 Century Media

Track listing
1. Scars of the Hatred 5:42
2. Ways of Barbarism 6:32
3. Dogma of Submission 4:55
4. Strength Forged in Fury 6:07
5. Soulless Impaler 6:11
6. Burning of the Heretic 6:21
7. The Isolated Truth 4:09
8. Oracle of the Ungod 4:43
9. Timeless Starvation 5:56
10. Milonga de la Muerte 0:53

Special Edition bonus tracks
11.Earth’s Cremation 3:49
12.Electric Funeral (Black Sabbath cover) 4:40

Band members
Alex Camargo – bass, vocals
Moyses Kolesne – guitar
Max Kolesne – drums